THE BIRYANI LAPSE

A friend, H, called me today morning and asked for a biryani recipe ..and I told him, it's right there on my blog..check it out.  But when I got online and checked out my blog, I couldnt find the recipe anywhere in here..hmm..now where did that go?I was sure that I had posted it since I remembered typing the recipe and taking a few pictures.  And then I looked into my drafts(unpublished posts), and there it was!
My poor biryani recipe..It had been languishing there for the past one year or so..I had forgotten all about it! And the images were all gone..no trace of that too!
So I dusted it up..and am now posting sans my pictures. Since I love pictures ..I have just added some random images.Will post my own pics hopefully by next week(when I've had time to make biryani !)
Exploring my drafts section threw up a whole lot of surprises..There were  at least 4 or 5 unfinished posts in there..Will have to dust them all up and post again.. not today though..


So, Biriyani...The word throws open a whole wide world!
Malabar biryani, thalasseri biryani, hyderabadi biryani,nizams biryani, kashmiri biryani, sindhi , iranian, madurai style, bhatkal biryani,chennnai biryani, Kabsa biryani, mandi biryani...the head spins!!
Let's stick to the traditional Malabar Mutton biryani today, ok?


A word before we start cooking. These tips are never there in any cookbooks..no one tells you about these things when they give you recipes.  It's okay if you don't use these tiny little tips and just make the biryani according to the bare bones of the recipe. You will still end up with a fine tasty dish.  But just once, when you have the time and patience, do use all the finer points I am mentioning below,  and I guarantee  that you will have made a dish fit for kings!! 
 The main point to be noted is that the rice you use should be of the best quality, the older it is , and the more fragrance it has in it's uncooked state, the better biriyani you get.

We use Kaima rice, or Jeerakasala rice instead of basmati rice.  This small grained rice is what is used in the malabar regions like Thalasseri or Calicut.  It has a much better flavour and aroma than basmati .  Soak the rice in water for ten to thiry minutes before, then drain and use as needed in the recipe.
Do not stint on ghee. The more ghee you add, the more softer your rice will be.  Some people use half the quantity of ghee mixed with an equal amount of either dalda or oil, which I think is more healthier..not for our body, for our monthly budget!hehe..when you eat biriyani, leave all thoughts of health and calories locked up somewhere else!

When you make the masala , the ingredients you use should be as fresh as possible. The meat you buy should be tender and fresh.Marinate the meat in the ground paste with curd for at least an hour in the fridge.  Curd helps in tenderising the meat ..but make sure that the curd you use is not too sour.
 Make fresh garam masala by taking 6 cardamoms, 2" piece cinnamon, 5 cloves, 1 tbsp cumin, itbsp whole peppercorns, and heating on low flame on a small pan. Powder in a small mixie. If you are using readymade garam masala, please heat over a low flame..this enhances the flavour and releases the aroma of the spices.

Above all, Biryani should be served piping hot. Ghee tends to solidify the cooler it gets, and then the biryani will feel very thick and heavy while eating.  But if you serve it hot, (not warm!..piping,reeeeally hot!)then  your biryani will feel lighter and softer. 
All these things I 've been writing...don't feel daunted and put off your biriyani making to another day. I tend to be a bit passionate about cooking..and as every mallu foodie knows..making a good biriyani is the pinnacle of Kerala traditional cooking.

MALABAR MUTTON   BIRYANI

Ingredients:

For ghee rice:

Rice                           1 kg

Water                       7 cups

(if rice is 1 kg, it shoud be about 4 cups-coffee mug or milkmaid tins.water to cook rice should be a little leser than double that...i.e.,4x2=8, therefore use less than 8. )

limejuice                   1 tsp

Salt                           1 tsp 

Ghee                         8-10 tbsp

cardamom,clove and cinnamon two three each.

For the masala

Mutton                     1 kg

Onions sliced thin     800 gm

Garam masala         3-4 tbsp

Tomato sliced             3-4

Grind together for marinade:

Green Chilli            10-12

Ginger garlic              25 gm

Coriander leaves      a handful

Mint leaves              a handful

Curd                           1/2 cup

For garnish:

Onions  finely sliced   2

Ghee                            4 tbsp

Cashewnuts                  10

Kismis                           5-6

sugar                             a pinch

Method:

1.  Heat ghee, and saute onions with sugar  till golden and crisp.  

Add nuts and kismis, saute and keep aside for garnishing.t brown in color. Keep  aside  for garnishing the biryani.

2.  Heat  the  ghee,  and saute the rice on a medium flame about 20 minutes.  While the rice is getting fried, in a separate vessel, boil  water with the spices, lime juice and salt. Once the rice is opaque and golden in colour,  add the boiling water, close lid and cook on a medium to low flame for about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat and leave it for another 10 minutes, without opening the lid.

   3.  Now, heat a pressure cooker or a heavy bottom pan, add  ghee.

4.  Add the sliced onions and sauté till it  is all limp , soft, and pale in colour. This takes about ten to fifteen minutes.. 

5.  Add the tomato pieces and sauté well.Add a tablespoon of garam masala and mix well. 

6.  Now add the marinated  mutton, coriander and mint leaves.  Close the lid and cook for about 5-7 whistles or half an hour on medium flame.. Do not add any extra water. 

 7.  Once you open the lid, there will be some gravy. Cook on a low flame till the gravy thickens a little.

    8.   Take a deep heavy bottom pan(baking dish, or a nonstick  pan or you can layer into an electrical rice cooker) spread a layer of ghee rice ,sprinkle a few pinches of garam masala(tiny pinches, with a light hand..too much of garam masala will ruin your biryani),a tablespoon of ghee,coriander leaves chopped (again, just a little bit) then spread a layer of the mutton masala, rice again on top. 

You can have as many layers as you want, but the top should always be rice. 

9.  Garnish and cover with a well fitting lid.

 10.      Heat an iron tawa on high flame and keep the biriyani vessel on top of it for about 15 minutes. Turn off heat, and leave it for another 15 minutes. This is for the dum and helps all the flavors blend well with the rice and the meat. The tawa is used so that there is no straight contact with the vessel and this minimises the risk of the biriyani getting burnt on the bottom.  Alternatively, you can keep it in a hot oven(160c) or the electrical rice cooker in it;s keep warm mode. 

Biryani is usually served with raita , pappads, and  pickles.

This one’s for you, Umma..

A word of apology, in advance...things are going to get mushy for the next week...After all, it is Valentine’s Day next week...So, being a wee bit emotional and sentimental seems to be in order...no?

This post is dedicated to the person I love most in this whole wide world...My mom...or, Umma...as I call her.  Who says Valentine’s Day is only for lovers? It’s also a time to show all your loved ones how much you care...Actually; you don’t need a specific day for that...anyday will do!  But for some of us cowards who shy away from expressing love, (hiding behind a couldn’t-care-less attitude)...yes!!the V-day is a Godsend! 

Umma, though I never say it out much...relying instead on the annual birthday card (with pre printed flowery sob stories and poems on them)...to do my work...i know now how they can never be a substitute for my heartfelt words or hugs... (Now...as in...now that I’m also a mom who throws out blatant hints that I would love a hug or word of appreciation from my ungrateful brood!)

When I sit amidst piles of books, labels, and brown paper, with three pairs of clumsy hands helping...and I feel like shouting....’let me be...I can do this faster without you kids hindering me!’....I remember yet another scene two decades back...when it was you doing this, and I was the eager beaver trying to help...I never heard a word of complaint from your lips...you helped me...then, and now...
 I feel a sense of déjà vu.... Every day as I tie my daughter’s hair ...when I dust their feet before putting their socks on (remember?)...playing board games like scrabble and caroms...I remember you eating my first culinary efforts valiantly...no criticism...only encouragement and praise...I remember the gentle nudging and quiet little talks we had when you felt I was not ladylike enough..I could go on and on...but I don’t want to bore anyone...So let me try and shrink a lifetime’s worth of love into 2-3 lines...and stop...

I’m travelling down the same road you trod before...I pray to God every single day that I do so with as much grace, patience, optimism, and wisdom as you did...Love you, mom!

Umma’s Traditional Fish Curry a.k.a.   Puliyaanam

1.        Seer fish                                           250 gms

2.        Dry red chillies                               5-7

3.       Button onions                                  12-15

4.       Curry leaves                                    5-6

5.       Fenugreek seeds                              a tsp

6.       Turmeric powder                            a tsp

7.       Chilly powder                                  3-4 tbsp

8.       Ginger (crushed)                             1”piece

9.       Peppercorns                                     3-4

10.    Salt                                                   1-2 tsp

11.    Tamarind paste                               a tbsp

12.    Tomato chopped                              1 small

13.    Coconut oil                                      4-5 tbsp

Method:

1)      Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a pan (preferably a clay vessel) Add all ingredients except tamarind paste, tomato and the fish. (ingredients numbered from 2 to 9).

2)       Sauté well on a low flame for 2 minutes.

3)      Add tamarind paste to this, and grind to a thick paste.

ground red chilli paste

   4)Heat the balance coconut oil in the same pan, splutter ½ tsp fenugreek seeds and 5-6 curry leaves.

5)      Add the paste and sauté for a minute till it loses its raw smell.

6)      Add tomato pieces, and fish, stir, and let cook for 5 minutes.

7)      Serve hot or cold.

Some notes:

Fish can be anything, small or big, they will all go well with this masala...

Tamarind paste means dried tamarinds which have been soaked in water for 2 minutes... (you will need about 2-3 tamarinds soaked in ½ cup water for the above recipe)

tamarind paste 

The above recipe when finished, has a thick, pasty consistency, which is the way they make it in my hometown, Kollam...for those who want their fish curry to be a little less thick, just add ½ cup of water …but remember to adjust your salt and chillipowder accordingly..

This curry keeps well for 3-4 days in a clay pot, without any refrigeration whatsoever…the taste keeps getting better each day! But do add a big dollop of coconut oil on top if you are planning to keep it out.

BEING A BIG LAZYBONES

Forgive me..it's been ramadan..I've been busy with a hundred and one jobs that need doing..I don't know where the time flies...I just can't resist....simply must bore you people with an account of my typical ramadan day.

@3 AM..
At the unearthly hour of 3am in the night(when it's the best part of snuggling deep into your quilt and your dreams are at their most exciting point...TTTRRRRIIINNGTG....TRRIINNNGGG...the alarm rips through the chill night..but I snuggle deeper into my quilt..(who wants to wake up at that time??)N (my hubby) gives me a shove ..Resh..wake up..it's time to get Suhoor (a predawn meal we have during ramadan) for us..."mmm..yess..just five more minutes..then I'll get up" N keeps poking and prodding me till 3.30am when I finally give up and roll out of bed and into the kitchen..all bleary eyed.
Getting the food ready( this meal varies from house to house..for us, suhoor means steamed bananas and steamed rice cake-puttumpazhampuzhungiyathum-in local speak..along with hot tea) for the kids and hubby takes about ten to twenty minutes only..then begins the process of waking up the rest of my family(including hubby dearest, who promptly turned over to sleep the minute i left the bed..MEN!!) who are equally adept at clinging onto their precious sleep .Finally by 4 am, all are sitting around the table having their foodand trudging back to bed after the morning namaz(prayers)..while I am clearing the table and washing up, which gets done by around 5.15.
Now comes the hard part...the kids have to get up by 6 am if they have to be ready for the schoolbus (which comes around by 6.45am)..so if i go to bed now..it's a sure bet that I won't be able to wake up on time ...so that means 45 minutes of sitting around in the dark, twiddling my thumbs..while I would much rather be sleeping(sigh!)
So i sit at the computer and surf the web till 6am.
@6AM
Wake the kids up, poke and prod them..cajole them into uniforms, walk them to the busstop..and back home by 7 am.
@7AM
Wide awake now..No point in going to bed..so, I start cleaning the house,putting it back in order .
@8AM
I walk into the kitchen and start preparing food for Iftaar -the evening meal, which is when we break our fast. Samosa, Unnakka, Dateballs, meatballs, kababs, pies..anything goes..Pathiri(thin soft rotis made from rice flour ) and Mutton Kurma are my husband's and kids' favorite dish..this is mandatory for everyday of Ramadan.
@1.30PM
Work in the kitchen finally gets over ..and I have a quick bath, pray and run around doing other chores(like picking up the laundry and drycleaning, buying vegetables and groceries, etc,etc etc...)
@3.45PM
The kids come home and it's bedlam for the next twenty minutes!
A long list of complaints ..fights..tears..playground stories..an assignment ..a project has to be done...umma..listen...all three want to talk at once..and I am in a hurry to get them out of sweaty uniforms and socks..Make them wash up..and change ..then checking their bags and books for homework and stuff...playing with them in the garden..till the arabic tutor comes
@5PM
Prayers ( in relative peace) since the kids are studying with their arabic tutor, then into the kitchen again for last minute adjustments to food.
@6PM
The kids are back from the tutor and racing to play outside..and I am racing against the clock now. Have to get them ready for going to the mosque with their dad by 6.20pm.
My husband started this new routine this year..of going to the nearby mosque to break their fast with some water and dates , offer prayers there, and then come home for a propermeal. It's been a good idea..the boys have been really enjoying doing grownup things, and learning how to do things in the proper traditional way
@6.30PM
They are all back home , by which time I have also broken my fast with water and dates and offered evening namaz(prayer) So we all sit around the dining table, eating the meal I have prepared.
@7PM
Like storm clouds gathering, I can feel a headache creeping up ..By the time I finish clearing the table and cleaning up..I'm all tired and drained..All I want to do is curl up in a corner and sleep which is exactly what I do for the next one hour.
@ 8pm
Wake up again, do namaz(prayers) ,put the kids to bed, and get a drink for N and myself..put my feet up and chat for ten fifteen minutes..by whichtime I'm nodding off again..(and so does N !!) ..So, by around
@9PM
we both wearily drag our tired bodies into bed and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
till it starts again....

PATHIRI
Ingredients

2 cups Rice powder(Roasted)
3 cups water
salt -as required

Method

1. Boil the water. Add salt .

2. Add the flour to the boiling water and stir well in a simmering flame.

3. Cover the dough and keep it to cool.

4. Once it has partially cooled knead the dough thoroughly, wetting your hands freuently with a little water. Make sure that no lumps are formed inside.

5. Make small lemon sized ballsfrom the dough .

6. Dust the balls in some rice flour and roll it out using a roller pin.

7. Heat a tawa till smoking hot. Keep the pathiri on it and flip it to the other side once the pathiri starts forming bubbles, like a phulka. Press the pathiri occasionally so that it will become soft and layered.

8. Once both the sides are done, remove it from the tawa.


Tip:
After each pathiri...wipe clean the tawa with a dry cloth so that the charred flour doesn't stick to the next one.

Serve pathiris either dipped in medium hot coconut milk or with coconut milk on the side as an accompaniment

J2, my second son, had a dental checkup yesterday. The dentist said that his baby tooth in front had to come off , since the permanent tooth had started coming out from under that. So if we didn't remove the baby tooth, it would be growing lopsided...
So off it came, in under a minute, and since it was already wobbling a bit, J2 did'nt kick up a big fuss...my, he sure is growing up!!

He was peeved only about one thing..".Umma, that was my favorite tooth!!"
"what?you have a favorite tooth?for what reason?"
"well...I used to play with that tooth whenever i got bored..flicking it back and forth..it used to provide me with loads of entertainment....."......
Children!!
I thought I'd share a typical spicy mallu fish curry recipe today with you all...
which is also J2's favorite curry too!!

NAADAN MALLU FISH CURRY

Ingredients

Fish ( cubed)
(salmon or pomfret) 250 gms
Dried red chillies 15
Or Red chilli powder 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves a stalk
Shallots or onions
sliced thin 100 gms
Tomato chopped 1 large
Green chilly slit 2 or 3
Kodampuli 1 or 2 pieces
(kodampuli is kokam or dry mangosteen..)
Coconut oil 4-5 tbsps
ginger crushed 1 tbsp








Method

1. Take a pan (preferably earthenware, or clay) and heat.

2. Pour oil, add mustard and fenugreek seeds. When it starts spluttering, add curry leaves.

3. Add onions, green chillies,and ginger. Saute well.

4. When onions are wilted,add tomato slices, and saute again for 2 minutes.

5. Grind together the red chilly, turmeric powder and a few fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds.along with 1 tbsp water. (this step is optional..but if you do grind, it will increase the flavour of the curry and make it thicker)

6. Add the ground masala to the pan, mix well, and add the fish pieces and the kodampuli.

7. Cover, and boil till the fish is cooked, and the curry is not too watery.

8. Serve hot with rice, or puttu , or appams.

Tip:
If you pour one tsp of coconut oil onto the curry just before serving(when steaming hot) that would increase the flavour even more.

MY FIRST COOKERY CLASS

Hello..long time no see and all that...
I've been so busy these past few weeks...then my computer went kaput...Isn't that reason enough for me being a lazybones? Then , one of my friends, M, asked me if I could do a cooking class at the YWCA..I was unsure at first..but M persisted..and finally, I decided to do it!
So, next week, on 8th july,2009, I will be doing my first ever cooking demonstration in front of a large crowd of well heeled ladies..many of them light years ahead of me in experience and age..you can imagine the jitters they're giving me..Hopefully I won't make a complete mess of things..!!
After a lengthy discussion with M, we decided to make Alleesa(Haleem) , Kaaypola, and Dark Fantasy pudding.
Haleem is a middle Eastern dish, traditionally made in Pakistan, the Gulf, Dubai, Hyderabad, etc.
Alleesa, as we mallu muslims call it, is a porridge like dish made from wheat.


Normally made bland, with a side serving of sugar and chicken / mutton kurma, here in Muvattupuzha, we like it spicy.There's one more thing that differentiates our Alleesa from Haleem. Since we mallus love our coconuts, we just can't resist adding thick coconut milk to this.
This is the recipe I am giving you today ..
HALEEM aka ALLEESA

Ingredients:

Onion, sliced thin 2
Gingergarlic paste 1tbsp
Green chilly, slit 4
Salt 1 tsp
Coconut Oil 4 tbsp
Garam Masala** 2tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Chilly powder 2 tsp
Tomato 1
Broken Wheat 1 cup
Chicken 250 gm
(preferably 2 leg pieces)
Coconut 1/2
Ghee 2tsp
Shallots /button onions 5-6
Curry leaves a stalk
Coriander leaves a handful


Method:

1. Soak wheat in water (2 cups) for at least two hours.Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat oil. Add onion, gingergarlic paste, green chillies and tomato(chopped). Add salt and saute well.

3. After 5 minutes of sauting, add all the spices.
(turmeric, chilly, garam masala)

4. Saute till well cooked , add chicken pieces and wheat. Mix well .

5. Add coconut milk (2nd pressing)*. Cook in pressure cooker on high flame till first whistle sounds. Then lower heat to simmer. Turn flame off after 5 minutes.

6. After ten minutes, open cooker, add coconut milk( first pressing)*. Heat again till it starts boiling. Turn off flame before it boils too much.

7. Serve haleem into a shallow dish.

8. Splutter curryleaves and shallots in ghee till crisp, then pour onto haleem or alleesa as a garnish. Serve hot.


* Take the half coconut, grate and add 1 cup water. Blend in a blender/mixie, then strain and keep aside. This is the first pressing coconut milk.
Take the same grated coconut from the strainer, add 1 and a half cups water again to this, blend and strain seperately. This is the second pressing coconut milk.

** Garam masala -how to make at home.
Take equal quantity ( 25 gms each) of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorn, and cumin seeds in a shallow nonstick pan. Heat on low flame for a minute , stirring with a spoon all the while. Powder in a dry mixie, and voila! you have your very own Garam masala!
This can also be used to enhance flavours for moghlai dishes like biryani, curries, pulaos, etc.

MONSOON TALES

The monsoon is here! Yippeee!!

For as long as I can remember, it always rains here (in Kerala) on the first day of school. There we would be standing at the bus stop with our new uniforms and new stuff, and Bam!! It would rain. drenching us..school bags and shoes and all.. After a a few years of this, we got the hang of it, and we would remember to take umbrellas or raincoats along. Nobody really liked raincoats… we considered them childish, and preferred the more grown up and dignified umbrella. In those days, there were very few colored umbrellas available, and those that were, used to be very expensive. So what some of us creative geniuses (including yours truly!ahem!) used to do was..we would do some art work on those dull black umbrellas like paint on it with fabric paint(they were all the rage then!) or stick sequins or funny buttons….do colorful embroidery….etc.

I remember that our classroom corners were allotted for drying the umbrellas and there used to be at least twenty umbrellas all opened up and parked to dry, so we could safely stow them inside our bags. Those were lovely days.. My school was a convent in an Anglo Indian colony at Kollam…right next to the seashore. From our class rooms, we could see the waves crashing thunderously onto the beach…it would be all dark and damp inside the room(half the time, the lights would never work..) such a cozy and drowsy atmosphere that created.. While the teacher droned on about ab squared plus xyz , sodium hydrochloride, manganese, or the Sepoy Mutiny, half of us would either be sleeping, or the other half would be staring dreamily out at the sheets of rain and the waves outside our windows!!

But.. I digress here. I wanted to talk about this year’s monsoon, and then I went into flashback mode and started talking about the monsoons of about 20 years ago!

This year, it started raining heavily in May itself.. This was quite unusual, since May is peak summer season normally. It rained all through the first three weeks of May, then stopped. Mind you, it was not the normal monsoon type rain also..just rain in fits and starts..totally unpredictable. The monsoon here is a nonstop serenade of raindrops from early morning to night with some short breaks thrown in..

This year, as usual, I went shopping with the kids for school supplies in late May. Basically, all we needed to buy were a pencil box, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, and umbrellas since the school provides the rest (lovely no? school bags, notebooks, text books, shoes uniforms, everything is taken care of by the school authorities) I decided to let them have a free hand in selection of their stuff, and so I told J1, J2 and J3 that they could decide what they wanted, provided they stay within a budget. Left to myself, I would have finished that shopping within 15 minutes…but no, Mrs. Smart Mom had to do this. Never again!!

Pencils, box, etc were dealt with and finished in 1 hour..(wow! A miracle!) but umbrellas…my God..(or, as I would say, Ya Allah!) it took them a solid two hours to make a final decision on the type of umbrellas they wanted! I can’t blame them too much, though… there was such a wide variety of kiddies umbrellas available.. In different colors and shapes, stylish prints…what not! I myself was bewildered by the vast selection available for kids nowadays.

J2 and J3 would decide on one umbrella, and then, when I would turn my attention to J1 , they would change their minds and grab at another umbrella which seemed even more interesting. J1 was not very happy at having to select the type of umbrellas that his brother and sister preferred . He felt they were too childish, and wanted something more grownup. According to him, “ my umbrella should be special, Umma, one that no one else has..it should have colour, but not the bright ones like J2’s red striped one, or J3’s yellow umbrella with Tweety simpering on it’s crown! “ Phew!

Add to those three nitpicking brats a shopful of other nitpicking brats, all preparing for schooldays…and you have a madhouse filled with screaming, crying kids and parents..(yes!parents do cry and scream when they get desperate!)

Finally, after a solid two hours of scrounging through that huge shop, I found THE UMBRELLA! It was a deep midnight blue one, with shadings of soft brown, like a night sky, with stars twinkling at scattered points all around it. It looked very stylish and different from all the normal garishly colored kiddies umbrellas. If you pushed a button on it’s handle, it’s tip would start glowing as well as the tips all round the bottom half. Best of all, it fitted into my budget of Rs. 150 for each umbrella.

J3 was soo excited that she wouldshow everyone she met that day her new umbrella and she’d insist on telling them the whole story of how she chose for herself, and about J1’s grand grown up umbrella(!)

( I have a small confession to make myself.. I ended up buying a lovely umbrella for myself too!)

So then we were all eagerly waiting for the first rains as well as the first day of school.. when it dawned …all bright and sunny!

When people all around were happy that it had not rained that day and made a mess of roads, new uniforms…we were totally disappointed at not being able to use our fancy new umbrellas! It hadn’t rained at all this first week, and the kids were getting restless.

“ Umma..why doesn’t it rain? When are we going to use our new umbrellas?”

Today morning dawned all sunny as usual…no even more sunnier than usual. The glare of sunlight was so blinding that I started getting a headache. By afternoon, I was complaining to N, “ This is getting ridiculous!when will the monsoon come? I ‘m starting to hate the sun!” And N just smiled and said,” you’re worse than the kids! Be patient..it will come. It’s a bit late..but it will surely come within this week.”

About fifteen minutes later, the skies darken , there’s a chill wind blowing..and the temperature drops rapidly. Still no rain..but the sky looks promising..It’s all cloudy and dark..filled with moisture. Another fifteen minutes of tensed waiting, and the Gods decide to smile on us. It’s raining ..raining raining…Giant sheets of water drop out of the sky all at the same time, as if someone poked a pin into a giant water balloon!

YYAAYYY!!

The kids come back home all drenched(they hadn’t taken umbrellas since it wasn’t raining when they left) and with huge grins plastered on their faces!

“umma..can we go out and splash in the puddles with our umbrellas?

Umma, could you help me make paper boats to float in the rain water?”

I am literally drenched with suggestions of how to enjoy this grand rain…

But I’m no longer listening…I’m walking in the rain with my new umbrella, and breathing in the warm earthy smell that wafts up into the air with the first rains….

PEPPER CHICKEN

Ingredients:

Chicken 500 gm
Pepper powder 2 tbsp
(Preferably freshly powdered)
Turmeric powder 2 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Ginger crushed 2 tsp
Tomato sliced thin 1
Onion /shallots 200 gm
(2 onions /15-20 shallots)
Green chilly slit 2
Curry Leaves
Coconut Oil 5 tbsp
Salt to Taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut the chicken into small pieces.


2. Mix all the spices and keep aside 2 tsp of this to use in the masala later.

3. Rub the rest of spices mixed onto the chicken pieces and marinate for 2 to 4 hours in refrigerator.

4. Heat oil , saute chicken pieces in this till half cooked.Remove chicken from pan and keep aside.

5. Sauté onion, green chillies , ginger and tomato till soft.

6. Add chicken and the rest of the ingredients.
Saute well on high flame till well blended.

7. Garnish with fried curry leaves , serve piping hot with chapatis, parathas, or any type of bread.

Tip:Use a tbsp of curd for the marinade. Makes the chicken really soft.
Such a perfect dish for a rainy day...

LONG TIME NO POST...

Yes...it has been such a long time since i did a blog post..almost a month...no? Vacation had started , and I lost no time in packing my bags and hightailing it to my hometown in Kollam for some long awaited TLC and R&R . I spent ten days with my parents..then a couple of days bonding with cousins at a gettogether in Cochin, took a short trip to a Beach resort in Kovalam (thank you, vappa and umma!!)and was back home by the fifth of April.

Then why the long absence from the blog? you might ask..
It's wedding season in Kerala now...and I've been running around attending weddings and pre wedding parties for the past two weeks . It's been good fun though, since I really enjoy dressing up. In kerala, we go all out for the weddings..garish heavy jewellery, kanjeevaram and silk saris, jasmine flowers, ...though I must add that of late, there has been a trend towards designer saris and diamond jewellery.

My niece ,A,( the one who loves my carrot cake,remember?)is getting married on May 3rd..and the whole family (my husband's family) have all been so busy shopping for her trousseau and for all of our outfits too...It's been a tradition in our family to do the shopping together...so you can just imagine the mayhem we create when all seven daughter in laws , one sister in law, one mother in law, and twelve to fifteen kids descend upon a shop!!


So you can see how busy I have been, (tee hee!!)For now, I'm posting a very special recipe which is very close to my heart. An old time favorite, a traditional snack, Sarkara Ada. My maternal grandmother, Amma, used to make these for us, whenever we would go to her house for the vacations. Ada, Diamond cuts , Elayappam or chakka ada, these were her specials. THe other two recipes, I will be posting soon...(as soon as I get around to making them and taking a pic!) but today is for

AMMA'S
SARKARA ADA

Ingredients

For the Ada
Rice flour 1 cup
Salt 1/2 tsp
Water 1 cup
A drop of coconut oil (optional)


For the filling
Jaggery 250 gms
Coconut 3/4 cup
Cardamom 3
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Salt a pinch


Method:

For the filling...
1. Melt jaggery in 1/4 th cup of water, cool and strain. Heat again till thick and sticky.

2. Add coconut, salt, and powdered cardamom and cuminseeds.(tasty tip:heat the cardamom and cuminseeds together either in a pan or inthe microwave before powdering..this brings out extra flavour and smell)

3. Mix well.

For the Ada...

1. Boil water and salt . Add rice powder to the boiling water, all the while stirring briskly with a spoon, till the water dries completely and you get a lumpy scrambled mass of cooked rice flour. Leave to cool

2. When the dough has cooled a bit, scrape onto a thali or a flat surface, and knead well with wet hands(this helps in easy kneading) Warning...don't use too much water on your hands...then the dough will become too sticky!! When fully kneaded, add a pinch of coconut oil on your palms and knead one last time for extra softness.

3. Make medium size balls out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and place it in either a pathiri press or your palm. Press it till it is thin and round . Keep this on a small piece of banana leaf or oil paper.

4. Place 1-2 tsp of the filling in the middle of each ada, then fold in half. Press lightly at the semicircular ends to seal the filling in . Fold banana leaf too on top. Do like this with the rest of the balls.


5. Steam for 15 minutes, and serve hot or cold..personally, I like it hot!!

SOLD MY CAR!

Isold my little red car (Alto Lxi) yesterday.According to N, it was time we sold it, before it's price goes crashing down. O.K., fine, we had been talking about this for the past six months on and of, but it still was a wrench to see it being driven off by some other guy!
So what? you might say- What's the big deal about such a tiny car? But it was special to me, sentimental fool that I am..It was my very first car- my very own!
So great was my agitation (which I had carefully hidden bebeath a pokerface)that, instead of pouring dosa(pancake) batter onto the hot griddle, I poured sambar (curry!) on it!!Can you imagine? N was in splits, laughing and teasing me about that!!
Anyway,now that my depression has worn off, we are on the lookout for my new car(so much more fun than greiving ,no?)Hopefully, by this time next month, I 'll be tooling around in a shiny new swift! Toodle-oo!


DOSA AND SAMBAR
Ingredients:

Dosa-
Pachari (raw plain rice) 1 cup
Rose Ari(parboiled red rice) 1 cup
Ponni ari(Iddli rice) 1 cup
Uzhunnu(black gram dal) 1 cup
Boiled rice 1 tbsp
Salt 2 tsp
Sugar a pinch
Sodabicarb 1/2 tsp
Water as needed

Method:

1. Soak all the rices and dal overnight.

2. Put all ingredients in a blender or grinder. Add just enough water so it can be ground well.

3. Grind for at least 20 to 30 minutes till everything is well blended and the batter is thick.

4. Remove to a covered container and leave for fermenting .( at least 6-8 hours)

5. Heat a griddle, pour one spoonful of batter onto this, then spread out in circular motions till you have a flat pancake.


6. When golden in colour, add half a tsp of ghee, spread on it, and remove from griddle.

7. Serve hot with sambar ,chutney,or....have you tried chicken curry with this?just great!!


SAMBAR :

Ingredients:
toor dal 1 cup
onion, chopped 1
tomato, chopped 1
drumsticks, chopped 2
Brinjal ,chopped 2(eggplant)
Carrot , chopped 1
Potato ,chopped 1
Green chilli ,slit 5
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
coriander powder 1tsp
Asafoetida powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.
Tamarind paste 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves a handful(cilantro leaves)
Cumin seeds 1 tbsp
oil 2 Tbsp
mustard seeds 1tbsp
red chillies 3
curry leaves 10
A pinch of asafoetida/hing

Method:
1. Cook the dal with turmeric, onion and 1 cup water until soft & mushy and keep aside.


2. Add the chopped vegetables and some more water, if needed, and cook till tender. You could use a pressure cooker..saves time.

3. Add the powders & mix well. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the tamarind paste. Cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Heat oil, add mustear, let int splutter, then add curryleaves, red chilly, and a pinch of asafoetida.

5. Add to sambar,along with coriander leaves, stir, boil, then serve steaming hot.